Sternway-steering mechanism for ships.



' C. 0. GRISWOLD.

STERNWAY STEERING MECHANISM FOR SHIPS. APPLICATION FILED MAYI, l9l7.

1,235,681. I PateIi ted Aug. 7,1917.

STERNWAY-STEERING MECHANISM FOR SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

Application filed. May 1, 1917. Serial No. 165,746.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. GRIS- WOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sternway-Steering Mechanisms for Ships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sternway steering mechanisms for ships, and more particularly to auxiliary rudder-like devices secured to the opposite sides of the skeg of a vessel and adapted to be brought into use when it is desired to move the vessel rearwardly, as in backing away from a pier, or in handling the vessel in a harbor, or when it is desired to move the vessel rearwardly in a particular direction, said auxiliary devices being adapted to overcome the pull of the propeller. Said auxiliary devices are preferably placed on both sides of the skeg of the vessel so that'the current from the propeller, during the backing operation, will strike the one which is swung outwardly. Said devices are operated from the pilot house, or bridge, by a wheel, in the same manner that the rudder proper-is manipulated. p

In order to more clearly explain my invention I have illustrated one practical embodiment thereof in the accompanying sheet of drawings, which I will now describe.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of the rear portion of a vesselwith my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an end View of one of my auxiliary rudder-like devices, the plate or body thereof being indicated in broken lines. Referring now in detail to the drawings, V indicates the rear portion of a vessel,'R the usual rudder, P the propeller and S the skeg thereof. 1

My invention, as here embodied, comprises a rudder-like plate, or wing, 1, hingedly connected to the side of the skeg of the vessel, as at 2-2, the hinges being such that whenthe plate, or wing, 1, is swung outwardly away from the side of the skeg there is space left between the inner end of said Wing'and said skeg for the water to pass therebetween, and tothis end said wing, or rudder-like member, is preferably curved at its rear end, as at 3, to give increased space for-the water from the propeller to pass therebetween. The forward end of said plate, or wing, 1, is attached to the skeg S, by means of chains 4, to limit the outward movement thereof, as will be clear from Fig. 2. As a means for operating said plate, or wing 1, an arm 5 is provided, having the fork 6, which overlies the upper edge of said plate, or wing l, in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, said arm 5 being secured to'the lower end of an operating shaft 7 provided at its upper end with an operating arm 8, which may be connected in any suitable manner to suitable operating means in the pilot house, or on the bridge, as desired. This means of operation, of course, 7

would preferably be similar to the means for operating the rudder proper.

My invention is especially designed for vessels having single propellers at the rear edge of the skeg, and while only one such auxiliary steering device might be used, I prefer to place one on each side of the skeg of the vessel. When said auxiliary sternway steering devices are not in use they are closed up close against the side of the skeg of the vessel in an out-of-the-way position, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, in which one of the devices is shown closed and the other is shown open. 7

I am aware that slight changes can be made in my invention, as here embodied for purposes of illustration, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, limit my invention to the particular to the side thereof and adapted to beswung outwardly therefrom, whereby to leave a space between the hinged end .of said member and said skeg, and means for swinging Wardly away from the side of said skeg, 10 the same outwardly from said skeg, suband means for limiting the outward movestantially as described. ment thereof, substantially as described.

2. In combination With the skeg of a Ves- Signed at Portland, Multnomah county, 5 sel, a plate or Wing member hingedly se- Oregon, this 25th day of April, 1917.

cured to the side thereof and adapted to lie CHARLES O. GRISWOLD. up close against the side of the skeg an op- In presence of erating arm having va sliding connection I. M. GRIFFIN, therewith for swinging said member out- J. C. STRENG,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

